ABOUT THE TELLERS

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Michele Belluomini  has been telling stories to children and adults for the last 15 years. 

She has performed in schools, libraries, and museums, as well as at universities in the Philadelphia area. Michele presented a solo performances on the "Fringe" stage at the 2006 National Storytelling Conference in Pittsburgh and in the 2012 at the National Storytelling Conference in Cincinnati.  She has performed in a number of Patchwork Tellebration festivals, the New Jersey Storytelling festival, and the Lehigh Valley Storytelling festival. 

She can lead workshops for children and adults, and is available for storytelling performances.  

Contact her at bluedeerstory@hotmail.com

  Ingrid Bohn, an Interactive Theater and Storytelling performance artist, engages audiences through story, song, dance, and poetry. She wields a vast repertoire of stories to suit any age. Performing in PA & NJ, and on the virtual stage, her career spans over a decade. Ingrid's passionate and deliberate delivery style is sure to capture your imagination and heart.  

Xavier is an amateur poet going into his senior year at Arcadia with a theater major and a creative writing minor.  Says Xavier,  "I enjoy just being a vessel for art in all ways that I consume it. I let the words flow and let my passion fill the space with my words." 

 Ray has worked professionally as a storyteller for more than forty years. For the first thirty-five years he traveled the Mid-Atlantic States telling stories to more than a million school children. For the past eight years he has focused his energies on stories for the last third of life. His one-person performance, Imagining The World of Carl Jung, has been performed from London England to Boulder, Colorado." More information available at:  www.raygray.com     

PennyPenelope is an aerialist, maker, folk dancer, storyteller, and first time cat parent. She found her creative voice much later in life and that's ok because life is long and goals don't have expiration dates. 

David began telling stories to anyone who would listen on the streets and in the parks of Philadelphia in the early 1990s. 

Since then, he’s performed in bars, cafes, coffeehouses, libraries, schools, and on stages large and small in the United States and abroad. 

He is a story slam winner, a narrative workshop leader, a writer, and a vegan sandwich connoisseur. 

Mara is a writer, a recovering journalist, and a storytelling apprentice at The School of Storytelling in the U.K.— living in Philadelphia, at the edge of the enchanting Wissahickon Park.   

She tells stories because oral storytelling pulls at the thread of our shared consciousness, and the witnessing of stories engenders connection.  

Besides telling to my children, she has told stories to an audience of dozens at Peredur Centre in the U.K. and her backyard.

Nancy Wexler Taylor, a Philadelphia native and Doylestown resident, reinvented herself after 35 years with the American Red Cross by embracing storytelling. 

Her personal tales—about family, travel, and growing up—have earned “Best in Show” at The Moth and First Person Arts. She’s performed at venues like The Lounge at McCarter Theater, led local story slams, and appeared at Patchwork Storytelling events. 

As long as she has memory, Nancy will keep telling stories

A “Wearer of Many Hats,” Philly-based storyteller, author, and sobriety speaker Barbara Sherf is devoted to the transformative power of oral storytelling through raw, first-person accounts of her dramatic recovery. 

Founder of The Joy Club, her workshops include—Writing for Recovery and Speaking Your Truth.  Based on the prologue of her pending book, her story "Circling the Drain," takes the audience with her as she "hits bottom," and ends with a tale of resiliency in "Grabbing the Buoys of My Big, Beautiful, BADASS Life!"

Philip Moore is a retired Diplomat of Asian Body Therapy, and a Life and Health Insurance agent in most states.

Chris Sturgis is an experienced newspaper journalist currently working undercover as a school bus driver to collect stories.  

An educator, traveller, and collector of stories, Sanjukta believes stories connect across cultures and geographies, bringing people closer and realizing a deep resonance with the world.  

She brings stories in the classroom to encourage her students to explore and remember.

Kevin is an actor who has done over 50 plays and worked (and admittedly, enjoyed) 30+ years in NYC corporate America—did stand up back in the day and has written/produced a couple of plays at NY Theatre Festival.

Dr. Jessica Dimuzio, graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, specialized in wildlife preservation. She has conducted research on elephants, rhinos and wild baboons in Kenya, Africa and has taught field-based conservation programs for college students in the U.S., Africa, and Asia. 

Her company, Nature Tales and Trails, allows her to share the natural world with more children and adults through her award-winning non-fiction children’s books and films, storytelling, and nature walks.

www.naturetalesandtrails.com

Denise McCormack is a storyteller, speaker, producer, and educator whose work explores the meeting place of myth, memory, folklore, and personal narrative. She is President of Patchwork: A Storytelling Guild, where she produces storytelling programs that celebrate the power of story to connect people across generations and cultures.

An engaging performer in the oral tradition, Denise has appeared at regional and national storytelling events, including the National Storytelling Network Conference, the New Jersey Storytelling Festival, and venues throughout the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. Her performances weave traditional tales, history, and personal stories with warmth, insight, and a touch of humor.

As host of A Patchwork of Stories for Grownups, Denise welcomes audiences into an evening of diverse voices and memorable stories. In addition to serving as emcee, she performs her own story and records the event, helping preserve and promote the vibrant storytelling community she has championed for decades.